Winners and Losers from NFL Preseason Week 2

The second week of the 2015 NFL preseason brought several winners and losers. 

While final scores don't exactly matter this time of year, the games still have significance—with young players attempting to make rosters and position battles being decided on the field. And don't forget about the unspoken preseason word: injuries. 

Within this delicate balancing act, we can find the exhibition's best and worst. 

In the following slides, we will take a look at the winners and losers from the preseason's second week. These are the notable performances on both the ledger's good and bad sides. 

Winner: Brandin Cooks' Fantasy Owners

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

That sound you hear is fantasy owners across the country patting themselves on the back for drafting New Orleans Saints receiver Brandin Cooks. 

The second-year receiver and obvious breakout candidate lit up the New England Patriots Saturday night, catching four passes for 117 yards and a 45-yard score. 

On the touchdown, Cooks ran past Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon before hauling in Drew Brees' perfectly placed deep ball in the end zone. He later caught another long throw from backup quarterback Luke McCown. The Saints even gave Cooks an end-around, which he turned into seven yards. 

It's easy to forget that Cooks was one of the most productive rookie receivers before he went down with an injury last season. If he's healthy in 2015, expect a new star—in fantasy and reality—to be born in New Orleans.

Loser: Robert Griffin III's Well-Being

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Preseason games don't get much worse than what Robert Griffin III suffered through Thursday night. 

The Washington quarterback was sacked three times and hit on three others during a painful, four-series showing against the Detroit Lions. He eventually left the contest with shoulder and head injuries, and there's already chirping about the position coming from within the organization. 

According to Jason Reid of ESPN.com, those "in the building" know the team has "no chance unless a change is made at QB."

Well, that was quick. 

Unfortunately, this montage of RG3 getting assaulted by the Lions is not at all quick. Ouch.

Winner: Kenjon Barner's Roster Chances

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

How does a running back make a 53-man roster that includes DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles? 

Returning punts for touchdowns in back-to-back preseason weeks is a good start.

Kenjon Barner did not appear in a game for Chip Kelly's Eagles last season, but his two special teams scores—in addition to his rushing touchdown in the exhibition opener—should give the former Oregon Duck a chance to see the field for Philadelphia in 2015.

Against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, Barner caught a first-half punt, reversed field and outran the coverage for a 68-yard touchdown. A week prior, he took a punt back 92 yards for a score. 

The Eagles are already flush with talent at running back and returner. Barner might still have a roster spot locked up. At the very least, he can provide insurance for Philadelphia at both positions.

Loser: Josh McCown's Hold on QB1

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Josh McCown sure seems to be leaving the door open for Johnny Manziel. 

The Cleveland Browns' presumed Week 1 starter, McCown was downright awful on Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills. Over three series in the first half, the 36-year-old tossed two ugly interceptions and totaled just 57 yards passing on 10 attempts. 

He also jammed his right ring finger, according to May Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. X-rays on the finger came back negative. 

McCown's first-half performance felt a little too similar to his disastrous 2014 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Manziel wasn't a world-beater against second- and third-stringers, but he's making progress. Could this "competition" heat up if the two quarterbacks continue trending in different directions?

Winner: Rookie Running Backs

Sam Riche/Associated Press

It was a good week for rookie running backs.

Zach Zenner of the Detroit Lions continued his strong preseason, totaling 81 yards and a five-yard receiving touchdown against Washington. The undrafted free agent now has 137 total yards and two scores over two games. How can Detroit cut him?

Washington's Matt Jones was also impressive in the contest, carrying eight times for 44 yards and a one-yard score in the first half. He looks locked in as the offense's primary backup and go-to running back on third downs. 

Jeremy Langford looked strong for the Chicago Bears, rushing for 80 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries. He burst into the end zone from two yards out to complete Chicago's 23-11 win over Indianapolis. 

The same game saw Colts running back Josh Robinson bowl his way to 61 yards. He added a six-yard reception. His early production has made him a favorite to back up Frank Gore. 

The Cardinals got an impressive debut from David Johnson, who racked up 81 total yards on 13 rushes and two receptions. He's a slippery runner and a slick receiver. Maybe Chris Johnson isn't needed in Arizona. 

Last but certainly not least, Jarryd Hayne—the 49ers' 27-year-old former rugby star—rushed eight times for 54 yards and averaged 28 yards on three punt returns against the Cowboys. He busted off a 34-yard scamper, just one week after a 53-yard jaunt in the opener. Hayne has 117 rushing yards on just 13 carries and 108 yards on five punt returns this preseason.

Loser: Baltimore Ravens

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

The good news for the Ravens: The scoreline of a team's second preseason game is about as worthless as it gets in the NFL. 

The bad news: Saturday night's 40-17 final in Philadelphia was representative of how poorly the Ravens played in all three facets of the game. 

Joe Flacco threw two interceptions, both DeMarco Murray and Ryan Matthews rushed for first-quarter touchdowns, the special teams gave up a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown and the team as a whole committed a staggering 17 penalties. 

Baltimore trailed 30-0 at one point in the third quarter. Luckily, Bryn Renner threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns to salvage a 23-point loss. And the Ravens did save us all from a Tim Tebow touchdown late in the contest.

Still, John Harbaugh and the Ravens can't be happy about much of anything from Saturday night. The preseason is always ugly, but this was a special kind of hideous.

Winner: Teddy Bridgewater's Connection with Charles Johnson

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Teddy Bridgewater completed 10 passes against the Oakland Raiders Saturday night, with four of those going to ascending receiver Charles Johnson. 

The two appear to be building a special kind of chemistry within Norv Turner's offense. 

Bridgewater dialed up Johnson's number during two notable situations. The first came on fourth down in the first quarter, when Bridgewater delivered a strike to No. 12 to move the sticks. Later, he lofted a perfect pass to Johnson in the corner of the end zone to complete a 60-yard scoring drive. 

Much of the offseason buzz for the Vikings offense has centered around adding speedster Mike Wallace. But don't be surprised if Johnson finishes as Minnesota's most productive receiver. He and Bridgewater have an understanding and comfort level that continues to jump off the screen.

Loser: Blair Walsh's Confidence

Andy King/Associated Press

The Vikings kicker missed all three of his field-goal attempts against the Oakland Raiders, going wide right from 35 yards, wide left from 38 and wide right from 49. He even missed an extra point wide right. 

Minnesota gave Walsh a big extension this offseason, but the club's confidence has to be a little shaken. He is now 2-of-6 making field goals this preseason, and it's actually not a new issue. Walsh missed six of his last 16 field goals to finish last season. 

"It didn’t feel real good with how I hit the ball obviously, and the results showed that," Walsh said (per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com). "I have to do better. Preseason or regular season, that cannot happen, and I know that."

Walsh is still a 84.5 percent kicker for his career, and the $14 million Minnesota provided him this offseason gives him some wiggle room. But Walsh needs to start putting the ball through the uprights. Confidence can be a fickle thing for kickers. 

Winner: Faith in Jimmy Garoppolo

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Jimmy G has shaken off a tough start to the preseason. 

If you add Garoppolo's second half against the Green Bay Packers in the opener to his full performance on Saturday in New Orleans, the Patriots' backup quarterback has completed an incredible 43 of his last 50 attempts. He threw for 269 yards on 28-of-33 passing against the Saints, including a 24-yard touchdown after he avoided what appeared to be a sure sack. 

Garoppolo rallied the Patriots from down 21-0 to win, 26-24. 

“Jimmy is going out there playing good football,” receiver Brandon Gibson said, per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “He’s in the huddle as a leader. We rally behind him and want to help him win.”

The second-year quarterback is still playing against mostly backup defenses, but it's hard to discount his progression. After a first half against Green Bay in which he misfired on a number of deep throws, Garoppolo has settled down and looked confident in distributing the football. 

There's still going to be an obvious drop-off at quarterback if Tom Brady's four-game suspension holds up, but Garoppolo is slowly proving he's capable of holding down the fort in Brady's absence. 

Loser: Body Parts During Packers-Steelers

Don Wright/Associated Press

Sunday was a dangerous day to be on the field in Pittsburgh. 

The Packers and Steelers had nightmare afternoons, with both clubs having key players suffer serious, season-changing injuries. 

Green Bay lost Jordy Nelson, T.J. Lang, Aaron Rodgers, Scott Tolzien and a host of others with injury, while Pittsburgh saw Maurkice Pouncey and Stephen Tuitt leave the game with lower-body problems. 

Nelson and Pouncey were the big hits. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the initial diagnosis is Nelson tore his ACL, which means he could miss the 2015 season. According to Rapoport, the team is "awaiting MRI results to confirm" the injury. Pouncey is likely headed for ankle surgery, according to head coach Mike Tomlin, per Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 

The priority for any preseason game, especially among core players, is to come out of it healthy. The Packers and Steelers—two Super Bowl contenders—had catastrophically bad days in that regard Sunday.

Winner: Successful Returns

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Always end on a positive note, right? A few notable returns should do the trick. 

Chiefs safety and cancer survivor Eric Berry remains one of the best stories of this season. Friday night was another milestone in his return, as he played at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma last December. Now cancer-free, Berry saw 21 mostly uneventful snaps in front of the home fans. 

“The ride through the stadium and up to the stadium, smelling the barbecue and seeing the fans out there waving, it was definitely a wonderful feeling," Berry said, per BJ Kissel of the team's official site. 

Veteran 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman also made his highly anticipated return to the field Sunday after missing all of the 2014 season because of an injury. The three-time All-Pro tallied three tackles over just three plays. Bowman looks ready to wreak havoc once again. 

Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford made a similar return. After back-to-back lost seasons due to ACL tears, Bradford made his 2015 debut Saturday—playing one series against the Baltimore Ravens. He marched the Eagles 84 yards for a score while also surviving a few big hits (including one from Terrell Suggs at his knees). 

“He felt good," left tackle Jason Peters said, per the team's official site. "He told me it felt so good for him to go out there and show everybody that he’s back. It felt good to him, and it felt good to me too.”

See, feel-good stories do still exist in the NFL.